North Coast Jewels

In August, Paul Castle, Highland Council North Sutherland Ranger, found and photographed Great Yellow Bumblebees at two new sites, each representing a new 10km square for the distribution.  This was fantastic news as it showed, for the first time, a link between the records at Bettyhill (Farr Glebe and other areas) and Scrabster by Thurso in Caithness, a distance of about 30 miles.  Paul found his first at Melvich in Sutherland, on 6th August, feeding at lesser knapweed.  This, and another one seen later in the month, were both workers, indicating an active nest in the area.  The photo is a little blurred as he was suffering the attentions of Scotland's finest, The Midge!  Melvich is at the far eastern end of one of Plantlife's Important Plant Areas, stretching from here all the way to Oldshoremore in the west, embracing all Sutherland's Great Yellow Bumblebee sites.  Paul followed this up with a worker and a male at Sandside Bay, by Reay in Caithness.  The extra yellow hairs on the face of the male are clearly visible in the photo.  I had looked at this site at the end of July, and found a good amount of knapweed, plus Broken-belted Bumblebee (which Paul also saw), so I am delighted that Great Yellow has been confirmed here.  Donald Mitchell, Highland Council North West Sutherland Ranger, also got in on the act, confirming - thankfully - Great Yellow Bumblebees in Durness this year, an area where the species may be particularly vulnerable.

 

A great boost in recording activity this year has seen a number of new 10km squares have been recorded with Great Yellow Bumblebee.  Other squares with old records have been visited and the bee found still to be present.  All this information is invaluable in maximising benefits to Great Yellow Bumblebee through agri-environment schemes.  It is also wonderful that more people are now familiar with the species, and can distinguish the different queen, worker and male castes. The north's good weather in August this year has certainly helped, as this month has peak numbers of Great Yellows. Hopefully there is now a healthy 'bank' of hibernating queens for 2010.  We will tot up the total number of occupied squares.  It will be a long way below the pre-1970 total of 158 squares (across the UK) determined by bee, wasp and ant expert Mike Edwards in a 1997 review for Scottish Natural Heritage, so this bee will definitely be remaining at its official 'Nationally Scarce b' status (between 31 and 100 occupied 10km squares in the UK).

 

An August deadline

Phew!  A busy couple of weeks before the end of August deadline for the latest round of agri-environment applications.  I've mainly been contacted regarding applications from within areas where Great Yellow Bumblebee is either present, or is likely to benefit.  There have been one or two for Moss Carder Bee as well, where the range does not overlap with Great Yellow, and one for an exciting business initiative to develop machinery and save time, money and fuel on preparing and sowing small areas.

Discovering the bee in new areas means that more farmers and crofters have been able to support this species on their application.  As a Species Action Framework priority species it ticks one of the Regional Priority boxes, but this alone will not be enough to succeed.  Ways to add value for great Yellow Bumblebee, over and above the minimum requirement, include a commitment to sowing a BBCT recommended mix if creating species-rich grassland (using Scottish provenance wild flower seed), and including Phacelia and red clover in cover crops.  I have also been making recommendations on grazing levels and stock exclusion periods, so that where practical, floral resources can be maximised (which helps the flowers set seed too).  So, in have gone nearly 50 applications that between them could contribute well over 500ha of habitat managed with benefit to Great Yellow Bumblebee, mainly in Orkney, Caithness, Coll and Tiree.  Although the number of applications has increased, and the pot of money is shrinking, we hope that the decisions of the various regional committees (RPACs) will see as many of these as possible accepted in November.  Fingers crossed we will hear some positive results before Christmas!  The next round has opened, with a closing deadline early in the new year, so more applications are arriving in my email inbox.

 

Mystery bee!

Nicky Redpath sent in this intriguing photo, of a bumblebee she found with Mike Peacock of RSPB on Oronsay, off the west coast.  This is a male, with long antennae (can almost see all 13 segments!).  As it is a male, it has no sting, so there is no problem at all resting it on her hand!  There is a superficial similarity with Great Yellow Bumblebee, but no hint of a 'pollen basket' on the largest segment of the hind leg, so this is a cuckoo bumblebee.  In fact, this is an unusual species for the west of Scotland, a Field Cuckoo Bumblebee Bombus campestris, typically associated with nests of the Common Carder Bee B. pascuorum.  Not only that, it is of the form 'swynnertoni' that I think is described only from Scotland.  On closer inspection, the yellow fur lacks the richer tones of Great Yellow, and it is rather thinly distributed and uneven, giving a 'straggly' look.  Where Great Yellow Bumblebee would have a band of black fur between the wings, this has black is mixed in with yellow hairs, so lacks a discrete band.  It is also rather short in the abdomen, giving a compact appearance not seen with male Great Yellow Bumblebee (though male bees have an extra segment here too!).

 

An excellent record nonetheless.  There are very few records for Scotland, most of which are from the east.  A few reported this year have including one at a Scotia Seeds Open Day in Angus, one on the Stirling University campus (unusually visiting a nest of White-tailed Bumblebee) and photos of good-looking candidates at the BBCT/RSPB Bumblebee Meadow at RSPB Vane Farm, and in an Edinburgh garden.

 

More photos received!

These are a couple of great photos received in late July and early August.  There is a fine photo from Lewis, by Martin Scott, RSPB Conservation Officer for the Western Isles.  Just twelve years ago, a review by bumblebee expert Mike Edwards showed that on the Isle of Lewis, there was a single report from the north tip, the Butt of Lewis (1974).  More recording, particularly by RSPB (joint UK Lead Partners for Great Yellow Bumblebee) has revealed population 'nuclei' between Bragar and the Butt of Lewis, but numbers remain low and fragmented.  This one is at creeping thistle. 

 

The other photo is a rare sight indeed - a mating pair of Great Yellow Bumblebees.  These were found at these ragwort flowers by Stirling University researcher Nicky Redpath.  Amazingly, this is the second pair she found this year!  The only other person we know of who has seen this event is bumblebee champion Bill Neill from South Uist, back in 1999, when males were seen congregating at the entrance to a nest, waiting for new queens to emerge.

 

 

Homeward bound

14th August.  Time to leave the far north and head back to Stirling.  Poor weather forecast so very thankful for the good weather yesterday.  Remarkably, there was another person searching for Great Yellow Bumblebees near Wick yesterday and the day before, Professor Pierre Rasmont from Belgium.  Prof. Rasmont has been working on bumblebees for many years, and was looking for male Great Yellows to further his research.  He located males feeding at two places, both new locations, and kindly passed on this valuable information.

 

At Helmsdale I stopped to look at an area of red clover, presumably an agricultural variety, sown along the A9.  I don't know if this was done by the Council or a local landowner.  Despite being quite early in the morning, it was quite humid (which brought a few midges out to play).  There were many Garden Bumblebees feeding on the clover - this very long-tongued species thrives on this crop - and a few Common Carder Bees.  It would have been nice to find a Great Yellow but I was more than 20 miles along the coast, south of Occumster - can't have everything!  Such crops by a busy road - even at the 30 limit entering the village - may be a concern, because of a high likelihood of traffic collisions.  Otherwise the journey was uneventful, though there was another road-killed polecat-ferret near Dunbeath (birthplace of the famous Scottish novelist, Neil Gunn).  As with the others, this looked just like a proper polecat.

 

At Golspie I met Jenny Grant and Tom Kellett of Scottish Natural Heritage.  We discussed the issues regarding designated sites and where Great Yellow Bumblebee occurs.  In many ways, SNH's hands are tied as they need to assess the condition of these sites based on the notified features, which may be geological or biological.  Sadly, invertebrates are rarely notified features, though the typical habitat that they use may be.  Thus, the East Caithness Cliffs SAC (Special Area of Conservation), an area of over 440 hectares, is notified for its "Supralittoral rock (Coast) Vegetated sea cliffs".  However, the monitoring to assess the condition of this site may not involve the actual flower species used by Great Yellow Bumblebee, such as the abundant lesser knapweed.  The associated Strathy Point SAC (over 200 hectares) in Sutherland is a potential area for Great Yellow Bumblebee, but heavy sheep grazing means that there are simply no flowers available - though Scottish primrose is present.   Jenny also mentioned that she may have seen a Great Yellow Bumblebee earlier this year, up at the Kyle of Tongue in Sutherland, from where there are no recent records.

 

A final stop at Strathpeffer, where the rain was truly bucketing down.  This was to meet Murdo Macdonald, chair of the Species Action Framework project for Great Yellow Bumblebee, and whose extensive work since the late 90s indicated where Great Yellow Bumblebees were still hanging on in Caithness and Sutherland.  After a really good chat and chance to catch up, I dropped off the van at the ever-reliable Jacks in Inverness, and settled down for the train journey back to Stirling, by coincidence meeting someone who shared a mutual farming acquaintance, with a fine fold of Highland cattle.

 

 

A very good day!

13th August.  This morning I headed down to Golspie, to meet RSPB Conservation Officer, Kenny Graham and Assistant Conservation Officer Vicki Saint, and then Scottish Government case officers for agri-environment applications, Andrew Sorley and Murdo Mackenzie, at the Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID) offices just outside the town (shared with Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage). At RSPB, we discussed the distribution of Great Yellow Bumblebee, and the recent new locations that I and others had discovered.  We talked also about the success of the 'Birds & Bees' crops, and the pivotal role that seed merchants such as Richard Shearer (Orkney) and others play, and the areas where conservation objectives of BBCT and RSPB converge.  Kenny suggested I contact a farmer near Thurso, who has a 'Birds & Bees' crop.  These are in short supply in the Great Yellow Bumblebee area, but given the enormous success in Orkney, we hope that increasing areas are put towards this or similar beneficial crops.

 

At SGRPID, I went over the status, distribution and requirements of Great Yellow Bumblebee, and the measures within the agri-environment schemes that can help, particularly within Rural Development Contracts.  Andrew and Murdo deal with a large number of applications from Caithness, and were keen to discuss where input from BBCT can provide a justification that a particular measure in a particular area will benefit Great Yellow Bumblebee.  BBCT is increasingly recognised as a source of reliable information and advice for bumblebees, so a letter of support endorsing the proposed management ensures that the Great Yellow Bumblebee - a priority species in Scotland - is taken into account when the application is scored.  As funds become more restricted, and application numbers rise, there is clearly considerable competition for the funds available.  Great Yellow Bumblebee frequently does not occur on so-called Designated Sites, especially in Caithness.  This means that applications here miss out on scores towards National Targets, so our written support for beneficial management here is crucial.

 

Andrew and I made a visit to his own 'Birds & Bees crop, near Loch Fleet. This is well to the south of any Great Yellow Bumblebees, but it often pays to keep an open mind as these flower-rich crops are so attractive to bumblebees. It was not to be today, but we saw a good range of bumblebees in a short period, including a female Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee and a worker Buff-tailed Bumblebee - more evidence that this southern species is increasingly well-established in the north.

 

Heading north the weather was excellent, so it was an opportunity to look for bumblebees.  Being without a useful map, I had to guess, turning off on minor roads to look for suitable areas of flowers, particularly lesser knapweed.  Great Yellow Bumblebees seemed to have moved on to this flower, now at its flowering peak, as the flowering of Marsh Woundwort has diminished.

 

I decided with time available only to check areas off the A99 beyond Latheronwheel towards Wick.  The first area, at Forse, showed some promise, with useful roadside verge flowers.  Towards Forse Castle, and the North Caithness Cliffs,  the quantity of lesser knapweed increased and one grass field held a huge number of yellow rattle seed heads.  The knapweed quickly produced several male Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebees, and a hefty queen Buff-tailed, as well as the more usual common species in the area.  At the cliffs themselves, there were great ranks of lesser knapweed, with a nice patch of marsh woundwort.  I could have sent a day here, but couldn't…this time.  The stars of the show were a number of Moss Carder Bee workers, and Broken-belted was also present.  This was noted as an area to visit again - everything felt 'right' for Great Yellow.  One or two other stops were less productive, but then I pulled off the road at Occumster and quickly found a field full of lesser knapweed.  I headed to the nearest house and knocked on the door - no-one home!  Fortunately, the owner arrived, having picked her daughter up from school, and no doubt wondering who this stranger with the white van was.  I explained, and not only received permission to look for bumblebees, but also a willing helper.  One of the first bumblebees we saw was a worker Red-tailed Bumblebee - not a bad start as this is very scarce in the north!  Heath and Broken-belted were here, and was that a Moss Carder Bee?  I would have checked, but there in front of me was a Great Yellow Bumblebee - success!  We netted her, transferred her to a pot and showed the owner.  Before long we had a total of four worker Great Yellow Bumblebees, their presence indicating at least one active nest in the area, and a male.  The picture above is of one of these bees,  This was fabulous news, as it extended substantially the known area occupied in Caithness by Great Yellow Bumblebee, and is the furthest south (on the UK mainland) that it has been found nesting for many years.

 

Time was ebbing away, as I had arranged to meet the Thurso farmer. However, there was a chance to check an area nearer to Wick, by Loch Hempriggs.  There was a sheep field with a lot of white clover (perhaps those flower-nibbling wee scamps had only just arrived).  I was reluctant to disturb the sheep and didn't have much time, so instead - and very lazily - scanned the clover heads with binoculars.  Remarkably, after a few minutes I found a Great Yellow Bumblebee, either a large worker or a queen.  I watched for some time, to be absolutely sure, but had no doubts.  Another new 10km square logged, and so I headed off to Thurso.  By now it was early evening and cooling down.  I met James and we went to his 'Birds & Bees crop.  The bees there were pretty groggy,  mainly males about to spend the night there, sleeping rough as usual.  Before too long we had found two male Great Yellow Bumblebees - perhaps earlier in the day we would have found a few workers, but no complaints.  What a day!

 

 

End of season update

A little late, but this week I'll be summarising what was happening at the end of the Great Yellow Bumblebee flight season.  There was plenty of interest as numbers peak in August, and the new males and queens are reared.

 

August 12th and it was time to leave Orkney, after a really positive and encouraging few days.  The day dawned somewhat drizzly, but I had a little time before the lunchtime ferry.  I checked a couple of 'Birds & Bees' crops of farm contacts, one on Mainland (near Kirkwall) and one on South Ronaldsay.  Great Yellows are thought less inclined to forage in poor weather than, for example, the Moss Carder Bee.  However, the first crop soon produced a couple of workers, both active at Phacelia.  I also realised that I had no photos of males, and made a hasty stop at a large bank of knapweed on Burray, just across the causeway from South Ronaldsay (there is a handy car park here).  Sure enough, there were males, but it was a bit breezy.  Holding the knapweed stems steady I was able to get a few shots showing the long antennae.   On to South Ronaldsay and I had barely got out of the car when I saw a Great Yellow Bumblebee resting on tufted vetch in the verge.  This was a male, and rather groggy (who wouldn't be, after sleeping rough all night?).  I left him in peace and headed to Graham Scott's 'Birds & Bees' crop.  Graham is an advisor with the Scottish Agricultural College and is promoting to his clients the benefits that can be provided for bumblebees.  The land had a mosaic of habitats, with the flower-rich crop, and flower-rich ditch, a newly sown area of species-rich grassland (following a recommended mix), while nearby is a flower-rich, 'conservation verge' promoted by Orkney Council.  I quickly found Great Yellow Bumblebee in the crop - another worker at Phacelia - but had to head off.  A quick cup of tea and a chat with John Crossley, the Species Action Framework representative on Orkney (who rediscovered the Great Yellow Bumblebee in Orkney on his farm), then a scamper for the ferry. 

 

We had a visitor on the ferry crossing as we neared the mainland - a male White-tailed Bumblebee!  I plucked him off a lady's coat, explaining that he couldn't sting, and took him with me to Caithness.  Having showed him the RSPB Broubster Leans 'Birds & Bees' crop, he promptly took off in the other direction, but he arced back into it.  I was here to meet folk from RSPB, Caithness LBAP and some Species Action Framework volunteers, as we were going to look for Great Yellow Bumblebees here.  We were catching up, chatting, when I spotted a Great Yellow Bumblebee at the edge of the crop, some distance away - it certainly helps to get your eye in!  I popped her in a pot and we were all able to get a good look.  This was the first Great Yellow Bumblebee that some people had seen, so a very satisfactory start.  It was a bit windy, and working along the edge of the crop we came across a few other species, such as Broken-belted, but not the Moss Carder Bee we were hopeful of.

 

I also received an email from Orkney artist Tracy Hall, who took this wonderful picture of a Great Yellow Bumblebee in her garden on Burray.  This one, another male, is at globe thistle, a very popular bumblebee flower.  It really is wonderful that more people are reporting this rare bumblebee, and although not many of us will see Great Yellow Bumblebee in our garden, it goes to show that when we provide valuable pollen and nectar, the bees are very good at finding it.